Going To The Chapel
by deathraptor22
Summary: Part 5 of the Semi-Domestic Adventures series. After Sam fines a picture of her parents' wedding, Scully tells her the story of how they got married.


**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **The X Files.**_

"What's that, Mommy?" Sam asked, spread out on the floor with Scully they were sorting through some old albums. Well, Scully was doing to most of the sorting, Sam kept asking about places and people in the pictures.

"That's your Uncle Bill and Aunt Tara's wedding." Scully answered.

"You're dressed funny, Mommy." Sam laughed, "Everyone's dressed funny."

"Hey, that was the style, back then." Scully responded.

Pointing to a black and white picture, Sam asked, "What about them? Who are they, Mommy?"

Scully was silent for a moment, her breath taken away by seeing not only her parents, but to see them looking so _young._ "That—that's your Grandma Maggie and your Grandpa Bill." After meeting some of her little friends' grandparents Sam had started asking question, and they had explained everything—well, almost everything -to her. Sam knew that she had Grandparents, but also knew they them were in Heaven.

"Is other Grandpa William and Grandma Tina's wedding in here?" Sam inquired. Yes, she knew about them too. At least the basics. Which meant, really all she knew was the Scully hadn't just found Mulder in a cabbage patch fully grown.

"If we'd had those anywhere they'd be in Papa's old albums. "Scully answered, "What's here is strictly Scullys."

"What about your and Papa's wedding?" Sam asked innocently.

Scully froze for a moment. It wasn't that they were actively trying to avoid revealing certain truths about their nuptials from their daughter—namely that she was in attendance—it just never come up. Now that it was happening she wasn't entirely sure what to do.

"It's not in here." Scully answered finally, "I mean, I think there's a picture somewhere, but I'm not sure where it is." She stood up, picking up another box, from which a singular picture fell.

Sam snatched the picture, finding her parents, her mother in a deep blue dress, plain and very simply cut, holding baby a blue blanket covered with bunnies, and her father dressed in something like he would wear to woke, except with a red rose attached to his jacket, standing under a white arch.

"What are you and Papa doing, Mommy?" Sam asked, holding out the picture.

Scully picked up. "That's ah…that's me and Papa's wedding."

"Why are you holding a baby?" Sam asked.

"That's ah…" Scully began nervously, "That's you."

 **Five Years Earlier**

"There you go." Mulder said softly, finishing fastening the fresh diaper, "All better now?"

As if she was responding, Sam cooed happily.

"Hey, I want to show you something." Mulder told her, pulling a small box from his pocket. He opened it up, revealing a sliver band with a large diamond on it. "You like that? It's for your mom. I'm gonna do something I should have done a long time ago and ask her to marry me."

Sam failed her arms and kicked her legs happily, as if rejoicing over the news.

"Glad to see your enthusiasm." Mulder told her, before whispering, "Let's just hope Mommy feels the same way. I just need to plan what I'm gonna say to her."

Unfortunately, Mulder had less time to plan than he would have hopped.

As they got ready for bed that night, Mulder came into the bedroom they shared to find Scully in her gray nightshirt sitting on the side of the bed, looking at a magazine clipping. She looked up and held it out. "Mulder, what is this?"

 _Crap._ Mulder thought. "Oh. You found that."

"Yes." Scully confirmed, "Mulder, what are you doing with an ad for synthetic diamonds?"

Mulder sat down on the bed next to her. "To get you one." He answered, "According to add they're supposed to be even better quality than real diamonds. And besides, at least this way we don't have to think about the untold number of lives lost pulling them from the earth."

Scully still wasn't getting it. "Mulder—why would buy me one of these?"

"Look at that one's lady testimonial." Mulder replied, "I think it should make it pretty clear."

And as Scully began to read, it _did_ become clear. "Ohhh." She said slowly, still processing what was happening.  
Mulder's hands were shaking as he slipped the ring on her finger. "Dana Katherine Scully," He began, not believing how nervous he was, "Will you marry me?"

Suddenly, Scully's world seemed to stop as something inside her swelled. Had it been twenty or so years earlier she would have needed to time to think it over, but now, with all the history between them, the deep love she had and would always have for the man sitting next to her, their baby in the nursery across the way, the answer came out of her mouth easily. "Yes."

That was the second-best thing Mulder had ever heard, only surpassed by when Scully told him she was pregnant. Suddenly he was kissing her.

The next day, Scully was sitting at the table with cup of coffee in her hands, wearing a robe over her night shirt and the ring, across from Mulder, Sam, who had already eaten and was watching her parents' morning ritual. It was a little odd, getting use the weight on her hand.

"So, do I need to call Bill to tell him or did you ask him for my hand?" Scully asked casually.

"You don't ask the girls' brother for their hand." Mulder reasoned, "And Bill still hates me."

"I'll take that as a no." Scully replied, "Mulder, he doesn't hate you. He just doesn't get why I'm with you."

"Well, that's so much better." Mulder snarked, "I take this means you're going to tell him."

"Mulder, I can't _not_ tell him." Scully responded, "He'll figure it out eventually."

"Good point." Mulder conceded, "And then what?"

"What do you mean, then what?" Scully asked.

"I mean do we set a date, look for venue, find a man with a Bible who can tie a knock, what?" Mulder elaborated, "Where do we start?"

"That's a good question." Scully admitted, "Do you actually _want_ that big of wedding?"

"I don't know." Mulder confessed, "I never really thought about it. It really depends on what you want."

"Well, I 've never really thought about it, either." Scully told him, "I mean, I've thought about it, but I've actually- "She began gesturing with her hands, " _Thought_ about it."

"And anyway, who would we invite?" Mulder pointed out, before adding sadly, "Everyone we would invite is dead." As blunt as it was, it was true. Scully's parents, his parents, Melissa, the Lone Gunmen, Monica, Skinner, they were all dead.

"Okay, so big wedding's out." Scully declared, "Or a medium one for that matter."

"Maybe we should just—elope like a couple of teenagers." Mulder half joked.

"Yeah, right, can you imagine?" Scully laughed.

Then Mulder became more serious. "We should do it."

"What?" Scully asked, hearing him, but not believing what he had said.

"Let's do it." Mulder repeated, "Skip all the rigmarole, run off to Vegas or run off to a judge, and make it official."

"We can't just—" Scully began, her voice trailing off as though on it. Really, what was stopping them? She was still on maternity leave so it's not like she had to go in to work, and they hadn't already waited so long, _too_ long. Their courtship had been longer than some marriages already. "Do we have time to get dressed?"

An hour later the two were setting in an airport terminal, waiting for their flight, Scully on the phone with Bill.

"Dana, you can't be serious." He was saying to her.

"I'm so serious we're in the airport right now." Scully responded.

"Air point?" Bill repeated.

"Yeah, you're heading to Vegas to do this thing." Scully explained.

"Oh, let me guess whose idea that was." Bill snarked.

"Actually, it was mine." Scully corrected him, "I figured if we were doing this, might as well do it right."

"What about Sam?" Bill asked, as that was a logical question.

"She's coming with us." Scully answered.

"What?!" Bill exclaimed, "Dana, she's two months old."

"That's I told her!" Mulder called out, hearing him.

"It'll be fine." Scully assured them both, "Besides, we've already bought the tickets. Kinda hard to put the genie back in the bottle."

"Or the ring, or the carpet." Mulder added, "Just don't wish for peace on earth unless you include good will towards men."

"My sister's marrying a guy who believes in genies?" Bill mumbled, and Scully could swear she could feel him rubbing his temples.

"Goodbye Bill." Scully responded, "Love you."

"You too." Bill said, realizing that there was no way to stop it, "Be safe."

With that, they hung up. "You said that just to mess to with him, didn't you?" Scully deduced.

"Maybe." Mulder somewhat admitted, "But it's still a good tip."

When Scully got in touch with Dogget, he was a little more receptive to the idea. At least the them getting married part.

"Congratulations." He told her, "Certainly took you two long enough. But are you sure you want to take Sammy all the way out to Nevada with you? Trust me, the first flight is rarely pleasant. I can watch her if—"

Just then the call for them to board came. "It's too late for that." Scully told him, getting up, "John, I gotta go. Thanks for the other though."

"No problem." Doggett assured her, "Mosvel tov."

Despite everyone's concern, things were fine. For the first fifteen minutes, then something set Sam off and she starting wailing her lungs out.

"It's okay, honey." Scully assured her, rocking the car seat while Mulder, speaked her rubber octopus she loved at bath time. "Mulder, I don't think that's helping."

"Okay, let's see what else we got in here," Mulder mused, ruggaging through the overstuffed dipper bag and pulling out a doll that looked like some sort of green baby gray. "Look, Sammy." He beamed a bit too brightly, "It's your favorites chew toy. I think it wants you to gum it." That was when the little boy sitting behind Mulder kicked the back of his seat, hard. "Ow!"

Samantha burst into laughter.

"Hey, I think she likes that." Scully told him.

"Yeah," Mulder agreed, "Hey, kid, do it again. Kick me again."

The boy obliged, causing Sam to burst out in laughter.

 _Yeah,_ Mulder thought, _This is gonna be a long flight._

Suffice it to say, by the time they landed and got to their motel, Mulder's back was sore from muplite kickings.

"Okay, you just lay down, I'll got get you some ice, okay?" Scully suggested, as they set their bags down.

"No, I'm fine." Mulder insisted, but cringed as he straightened up. "Okay." He relented, laying down as Scully sat Sam's carrier next to his head.

"I'll be right back you two." Scully assured them both before exiting the room.

Scully waked across the way to the ice machine, scooping it into the bag, when she heard voice she thought she recognized saying, "Please, just—have you seen her?"

She looked up to see Agent Miller in civilian clothes, showing a picture to a black clothed maid who shook her head saying, "Sorry, sir. Better look someplace else." With that she walked away.

"Agent Miller!" Scully called out, getting his attention.

Miller turned around at the sound of someone calling him name. "Agent Scully?" He asked, taking a few steps towards her, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, getting married, actually." Scully admitted, raising her shoulders, "You?"

"Trying to stop a wedding." Miller answered.

Scully took Miller back to the room, and as Mulder iced his back Miller explained that his baby sister Hannah just turned 18 and had ran off with her twenty-seven two-time loser boyfriend and the note said this was where they were headed.

"We didn't even know she had a boyfriend until Mom found that note." Miller finished, "This guy, I looked him up, he's bad news. I need to get to Hannah before she does something she regrets…."

The couple exchanged looks and knew what they were going to do. "We'll help you find them." Scully volunteered.

"I can't ask you to do that—" Miller began.

"Miller, it's a big city." Mulder cut him off, "You're not gonna find them on your own. This isn't up negotiation."

"What about her?" Miller pointed out, gesturing towards Sam.

That was a good point. They couldn't very well take her galivanting all over the city to God only knew where. It wasn't safe.

"We'll figure something out." Scully replied.

The clerk at another motel pointed them to the director of bar he had recommended to Dirk, Hannah's intended.

"You two wait here." Mulder ordered, opening the door, "I'll signal if I need you."

"Mulder—" Scully began.

"Like Miller, said, someone's gotta stay with the baby." Mulder reasoned, before shutting the door and hurrying inside.

After a moment, Scully said, "Samantha, honey, Agent Miller's gonna watch you while Mommy makes you Papa doesn't get himself into trouble." As she opened the door, she added, "Be good for him, okay?"

"Ag-Agent Scully—" Miller stammered.

However, Scully was halfway to the saloon doors, leaving him alone with Sam in that car. The pair just stared at each other.

Mulder had already made it to the bar and was trying to get the bar tender's attention.

"What can I get ya, buddy?" The bar tender, a bald man in black t-shirt asked, standing in front of him as he wiped the table.

"You can look at picture for me." Mulder replied, showing him pictures of both Hannah and Dirk. "Have you seen either of these people?"

"Nope." The bar tender said, barely glancing at the photos before beginning to walk off.

"Sir." Mulder said, following him, "Could please just look—"

"He already said he didn't know them!" A burly man in a sleeveless leather vest cut him off.

"He barely looked at the picture!" Mulder argued, then suddenly found himself being grabbed by his collar.

"Hey!" Angry female voice called out. Everyone turned to see a woman with long red hair march towards the bar, stopping monetarily to grab a pool cue. "Hands off my fiancé!" Then she hit the biker with the cue, hard, causing him to loosen him grip.

Mulder managed to kick the man in the groin, causing him to drop the agent completely. He tried to punch him, but Mulder ducked than hit him the face while Scully picked up a chair and hit him causing him to fall to the floor. He got himself up and ran away.

"Anyone else want to mess with us?!" Mulder called out.

Everyone in the bar decided they did not want to mess with them.

In the brawl, Mulder had lost the pictured, which had been picked up by the bar tender. "Hey!" He decaled, "I _do_ actually know that guy!"

At a nice, ungimmicky chapter two blocks away, Hannah, dressed in blue, her hair in a bun, was standing next to Dirk, who was in ripped jeans and jacket with a bandana over with his head, and the minister was preforming ceremony.

"If anyone has a reason that these two should not be joined in marriage, speaking now or forever hold your peace." He said.

That was then Millar bursts through the door, flanked by Mulder and Scully, who had Sam secured in a baby sling. "I object!" Miller called out. He hadn't been planning on making a scene, but, well, he also hadn't expected them to be this far along.

"What?!" Dirk exclaimed.

"Frank, what are you doing here?" Hannah asked, mortified.

"Frank?" Mulder repeated, "His first name is Frank?"

Ignoring him, Miller step towards the couple. "I'm trying to stop you from making a big mistake, Hannah, this guy—he's not right for you."

Dirk snorted. "What would know about it, fed?!"

"This is why I didn't tell anyone." Hannah responded, stepping away from the alter and marching back down the aisle. "I knew you were gonna react this way."

"Oh, you mean, worried about my kid sister marrying a guy with two assault charges and a robbery conviction under his belt?" Miller challenged, "Can you find me someone who wouldn't react this way?"

"His name is Frank Miller." Mulder continued.

"Maybe now's not the time." Scully replied.

"I wasn't convicted on that second assault charge!" Dirk augured.

"That's—not your best argument." Mulder spoke up.

"Shut up!" Dirk shouted.

"Hey!" Scully objected, "Don't talk to him like that!"

"Or, what, red?" Dirk challenged, stepping off the alter as well, "You're gonna beat to death with your baby?!"

Just then, Samantha was awakened by the loud, tense voices and started to cry.

"Agent Scully, maybe you should take a step back, get Sam out of here." Miller suggested.

"I'm with Miller on this one. "Mulder agreed.

The safety of her child foremost in her mind, Scully complied. "Be careful." She urged before hurrying out.

" _Agent_ Scully?" Hannah repeated, "What, did you put out an APB on me or something?"

"Technically you haven't committed in a crime." Miller replied, "They're just trying to help."

"This doesn't concern them." Dirk sneered, "This doesn't concern you anymore, either." He got up in Miller's face and shoved him.

"Dirk, don't—" Hannah began.

"Shut, up, Hannah!" Dirk snapped, "This is between you and him."

"Hey, don't talk to my sister that way!" Miller protested.

"Make me stop." Dirk challenged.

Miller looked over to Hannah. "Is this really the guy you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

Hannah was starting to doubt that.

"Hey!" Dirk said, before hitting Miller, "I said stop talking to her!"

"Frank!" Hannah called out, going to her brother's side, only for Dirk to grab her.

"What did I say?" Dirk seethed, shaking her roughly.

Mulder jumped into action, grabbing Dirk. "Now a crimes been committed," He declared, "Dirk—What's his last name again?"

"Nedly." Hannah answered, helping Frank up and suddenly grateful for his interference.

"Dirk Nedly you are under arrested for assault on a federal agent." Mulder began, "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against…"

As Mulder lead him away, Hannah threw an ID bracelet at him yelling, "And you have _this_ back!"

What happened next was two hours of explaining what happened to the local authories over and over again, as they tried to figure out how to label it.

"Well, I think it's all in order now." The officer talking to the couple declared when it was finally finished, "So, if you two don't have any questions, you two can leave. Sorry that took so long."

"Don't worry about it." Scully assured him, "We're not strangers to confusing situations."

"I do have one question thought," Mulder pipped up, "Was what I did a citizen's arrest or a regular arrest?"

Scully raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Mulder responded, "I just want to know."

"We decided it wasn't a citizen's arrest, but a regular one, as you put it, Agent Mulder." The officer answered.

"Okay." Mulder responded, getting up with Scully.

As they headed to the door, they were met by a tear-stained Hannah, Miller, who was sporting a nice bruise on his face now, and oddly enough the preacher from the chapel.

"Hi, guys." Miller greeted them.

"Hi," Mulder and Scully repeated in universe then Mulder asked, "You alright, apart from, you know…the obvious?"

"As much we can be." Miller replied.

"So," Hannah spoke up, "Frank told me how you put your nuptials on hold to help rescue me."

"I wouldn't use those exact terms." Scully told her, not wanting to feel any worse than she probably already did, wondering what had possessed her brother to tell her that.

"We hadn't even found a place to do it." Mulder added shortly after she started talking.

"The point is," Hannah continued, "I think I know how to make it up to you."

"My chapels got a free spot right now so we were thinking…" The pastor spoke up.

Once again, Mulder and Scully exchanged looks and silently decided what they were gonna do. "Sure, why not?" Mulder finally answered.

Fifteen minutes later, Mulder was standing at the altar, in a suit like he wore every day at work, save the rose pinned to the jacket, shifting nervously from side to side. How much longer would she be?

In a backroom of the chapel, Scully was now dressed in Hannah's blue dress, Sam's hand wrapped around her finger.

"Okay," Hannah, now dressed in jeans and a blush pink blouse, said, pacing the room, "You got something borrowed something blue, what about something old and new?"

Scully held up the small gold cross around her neck. The one she had since adolescence, the one Mulder had worn the three months she was missing, and found again the next time she had taken and he was tracing her down. The one she had given to him just before he went off and got himself abducted. What was that term when the woman gave her lover a token before he went somewhere dangerous? The lady's favor? The more she thought about it, the more she realized how many times the cross had passed between them.

"Okay, that just leaves us with something new." Hannah replied.

Scully looked down at Sam, and had an idea.

Shortly after that, Hannah came running down the side of a pew, taking a place beside her brother. "How's the groom doing?" She whispered.

"He'll be finding once the bride gets here." Miller whispered back.

As if one cue, the wedding march started, and Scully came into view.

Mulder's heart skipped a beat. As she procedure down the aisle, Dana Scully was more beautiful than ever. How did this happen? How did this lovely, perfect angel fall from him?

Likewise, Scully's heart was beating at nine miles a minute, an exlecating with every step. Just a short little walk and she and Mulder would be enterically bounded. Nothing was ever going to come between them again.

At least, the march was finished, and Scully and Mulder were face to face. "Hey." Mulder greeted, her awkwardly, breaking into a grin.

"Hey, yourself." Scully replied, smiling back.

Sam decided to make her shelf known, reaching and trying to get to the boutonniere, causing Mulder to quip, "Interesting choice in bouquet."

They both burst out laughing at that. Even the pastor smirked before beginning, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, to witness the union of," he looked down at a slip of paper where he had written their names down, "Is this right?" He held the paper out to Mulder, "Is this right?"

Mulder looked to the Heaven's before saying, "Yes, it's right. This is why I go by my last name."

"Okay then." The pastor responded, paring Mulder any further comment, "We are gathered today to witness the union of— _Fox_ William Mulder, and Dana Katherine Scully. If we can learn anything from these two people, it is this: Good deeds can have unexpected rewards, and that if your love it meant to be, then it can withstand the test of time, and all trails."

 _Amen to that,_ Both Mulder and Scully thought simultaneously.

"If anyone has reason why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace." The pastor continued.

This time, now one said a word.

"Now, um, Mulder, repeat out after," The pastor began, "I, Fox William Mulder."

"I, Fox William Mulder." Mulder repeated.

"Take you, Dana Katherine Scully." The pastor continued.

"Take you Dana Katherine Scully." Mulder continued as well.

"To have and to hold for this say forward." The pastor said.

"To have and to hold from this day forward." Mulder reiterated.

"For better or worse." The pastor began.

"For better or worse," Mulder agreed, "For rich- "

The pastor eyed him strangely.

"What?" Mulder responded, "Doesn't everyone know this party?" After a beat he added, "Alright, I'll wait."

"For richer or for poorer." The pastor instructed.

"For richer or for poorer." Mulder repeated.

"In sicknesses and in health." The pastor elaborated.

"In sickness and in health." Mulder promised.

 _That's for sure._ Scully thought as he had already stood by her through sickness and in health.

"To love and cherish." The pastor said.

"To love and cherish. "Mulder agreed.

"From this day forward to death to us part." The pastor finished at last.

"Now, Dana, _you_ repeat after me. "The pastor instructed, "I, Dana Katherine Scully,"

"Take you, Fox William Mulder." The pastor announced.

"Take you, Fox William Mulder." Scully reiterated.

"To be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward." The pastor repeated.

"To be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward." Scully vowed.

"For better or for worst." The pastor instructed.

"For better or for worst." Scully agreed.

 _You've already done that._ Mulder thought, but, as she had done with him, let her go through all of it.

"For richer or for poorer." The pastor continued.

"For richer or for poorer." Scully promised.

"In sickness and in health, to love and cherish." The pastor instructed, picking up the pace somewhat.

"Through sickness and in health, to love and cherish." Scully repeated.

"From this day forward, until death do us part." The pastor finally finished.

"Now, by the power invested in me, by the state of Nevada, I now produced you husband and wife," The pastor announced, "You may now kiss the bride."

And Mulder did just that, actually dipping Scully a little.

Hannah was so moved she actually gave the couple a standing ovation. Not knowing what else to do, Miller joined her.

 **Present Day (Sorta)**

"And that's the story of how me and Papa got married." Scully finished, "It's not the most traditional wedding, but it's more traditional than most aspects of our lives."

The conclusion was met with another ovation, this time from Sam. "Yayyy!" The little girl cheered, "I'm glad I got to be there."

"I'm glad you got to be there, too." Scully replied.

"Got to be where?" Mulder asked, coming in with another box of old mementos.

"Our wedding." Scully answered, holding out the picture.

"Oh." Mulder responded, setting the box down and leaning against it, "So, I can't tell her about our old cases, but she can hear _that_ story?"

"She was already there." Scully justified her actions with a smile in shrug.

Mulder had to admit; it was hard to argue with that.


End file.
